PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — At just 16 years old, Westview High School student Anisha Dhoot is making waves nationally for her innovative work combating climate change.

Anisha is the winner of the 2025 Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes, an award recognizing outstanding young leaders across the U.S. and Canada.

Her project, called Smart Carbon Recycling, addresses two pressing global issues: soil degradation and climate change.

Anisha developed KelpNutriBoost, a low-cost fertilizer made from Oregon coast seaweed.

“I figured out that kelp grows really fast and sequesters carbon from the atmosphere quickly,” she explained.

She combined it with biochar — a type of charcoal created from recycled plastic and treated sewage — to restore damaged soil and improve crop yields.

But her work does

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